PBPB – Potbelly Inc. – Better than expected third-quarter earnings reported by sandwich purveyor Potbelly on Tuesday pushed shares in the name up as much as 20% today to $32.57, the highest level since October 8th. The blowout earnings report is the first quarterly release from the sandwich chain since the company’s IPO six weeks prior.
Upside calls purchased on PBPB yesterday ahead of the company’s earnings release are generating sizable gains for some traders today. The Nov $30 strike calls were active on Tuesday, with a burst of trading traffic observed during the final 10 minutes of the session yesterday. It looks like much of the late-day activity was the work of one trader buying approximately 450 of the $30 calls, most at a premium of $0.55 each. The sharp rally in Potbelly shares today now finds the $30 strike call options changing hands at $1.25 per contract as of 11:15 a.m. EST.
Overall options volume on PBPB of around 2,900 contracts this morning is well above the stock’s average daily volume of close to 400 contracts. The bulk of the trading is in Potbelly calls, with the call/put ratio near 4.5 as of the time of this writing.
RLD – RealD Inc. – Shares in the licenser of 3D and visual technologies to motion picture exhibitors are spiking today, up as much as 27% to touch $8.89, the highest level since August 26th, after the company reported a narrower than expected second-quarter loss.
Options changing hands on RealD this morning indicates some traders are positioning for shares in the name to extend gains during the next few months. The most traded contracts on RLD thus far in the session are the Feb ’14 $10 strike calls, with upwards of 790 lots in play against open interest of 302 contracts. Time and sales data suggests most of the volume was purchased at a premium of $0.50 each. Traders long the $10 calls stand ready to profit at expiration next year in the event that RealD shares rally another 18% over today’s high of $8.89 to exceed the breakeven price of $10.50.
